Hillary Clinton's Hurricane Matthew Message Is One Of Unity

Cities and towns up and down the southeastern coast of the United States are in peril right now as they continue to be battered by the ferocious Hurricane Matthew. Evacuation orders have been put into effect, and if you're living in one of the impacted areas, hopefully you heeded the warnings and cleared out. Now, with the tumult still ongoing, Hillary Clinton has responded to Hurricane Matthew, releasing a statement urging affected residents to heed public warnings and protect themselves from potential calamity.

The statement was released the morning after Matthew's damaging track through the southeast began in earnest. As it stands now, public officials and authorities are fearing the forceful winds and storm surges will cause heavy damages, and could end up killing some people who refused to heed the warnings and evacuate the area.

That facet of the crisis ― whether or not people still in Matthew's projected path are taking it seriously enough ― was part of what Clinton's statement spoke on, calling on residents of Florida and the southeast to "listen carefully to instructions from national and local officials."

You can read Clinton's full statement here:

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the path of Hurricane Matthew, and my heart is broken for the victims and their families in Haiti, Cuba, the Caribbean, and Florida.

This is a serious storm, and it has already caused serious damage. If you get an evacuation order, please follow it immediately. Bring any important documents, medicines, and your pets with you. Listen carefully to instructions from local and national officials. And if you’re not sure what to do, please visit ready.gov for tips on staying safe.

To all our local campaign staff, volunteers, and supporters: Please take care of yourselves and your neighbors — nothing is more important than that. To our extraordinary first responders and everyone working to prepare for and respond to the storm: We’re so grateful for your courage and sacrifice, especially in times like these.

And to the people of Florida and the Southeast, and everyone in the eye of the storm: Stay safe, and know that America is with you. In times of disaster, we pull together. We’ll have your back every step of the way — today, and in the weeks and months to come.

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

The Clinton campaign isn't alone in releasing a statement on the hurricane. Donald Trump has done so, too, both in a statement and in delivered remarks, similarly urging anybody in the path of the storm to "take care of yourself, you gotta get out of the area."

While the United States has a far more robust infrastructure, and many of its buildings may be stronger-built and better-protected, you need look no further than Haiti to see just how serious a toll this kind of natural disaster can take. At the time of this writing, Haiti's civil protection agency has reportedly confirmed at least 271 people were killed by Matthew, while some estimates from news outlets suggest that the finally tally could in fact be higher by hundreds. This has been a devastating event for many, and Clinton's statement on Hurricane Matthew was a kind sentiment to all those affected.